WHEN Zoe Alexander was told her little brother Nick had been killed in the Paris terror attacks, her world stopped.

Nick, 35, had been doing the job he loved, and one which Zoe had introduced him to, selling merchandise at a music concert.

Without warning, Islamic State fanatics stormed into the Bataclan theatre and shot 89 people. In all, 130 died in the attacks.

Nick, a deeply loved son, brother, uncle and friend, died cradled in his ex-girlfriend’s arms.

As the first anniversary approaches this Sunday, Zoe, 43, spoke of her pride for her brother and how she is using his legacy to help others.

Mother-of-two Zoe said: “I was at home when my parents called to say there was something on the news about an event going on in Paris. It was rolling news.

“We knew it was at the concert and Nick was at the concert and it was a case of watching it on the news.”

Social media quickly spread the word, but the devastating truth came to Nick’s family via a phone call from someone who had been on the tour of the concert performers, The Eagles of Death Metal.

“It is not anything you can fathom until you hear it,” added Zoe.

Even now, it is hard to understand.

Despite their seven-year age gap, the siblings, who grew up in the Colchester area, were close.

Nick travelled a lot for his job, but he kept in regular contact with his family.

Zoe said: “He had been at my house a month before. He always called in between tours.

“He would come up and visit me and the boys. My mum spoke to him on the day.”

She added: “He was starting secondary school when I was leaving to go to university, but we always chose to spend time together, we had a lot of common interests.

“As well as being funny, he was supportive, kind and loyal.

“He was my biggest cheerleader and family was the most important thing to him.”

A passion the pair particularly shared was music and it was Zoe who several years ago was working as a music merchandiser at V Festival in Chelmsford and got Nick hooked on what led to be a career he loved too.

At one stage he ran a monthly club night at Colchester Arts Centre.

Zoe also spoke affectionately of the bond Nick had with her sons, now aged four and five.

“He was very proud. It was a role he took seriously and although he was away a lot, he always checked in to see what the children were up to.”

Nick, who grew up in Weeley and went to Colchester Royal Grammar School, loved people and music and these attributes have given his family strength as they grieve for his loss.

It has also spurred them on to launch a charity in his name.

The first major fundraiser for The Nick Alexander Memorial Trust will be held on Tuesday.

Zoe has been busy with her parents Sheelagh and Barry, who still live in Weeley, to get the charity going.

Its aim is to award grants to community and small charitable groups in the UK who need musical equipment to enhance the lives of their members.

Zoe said: “It could be DJ equipment to youth clubs or a music player to a social group.

“Anything where music brings people together. I really hope we can fill that gap.”

Particular consideration will be given to those groups which represent and help the most disadvantaged and marginalised sectors of society such as through illness, physical or learning disability, poverty or other factors.

The charity was able to launch thanks to a substantial amount of money raised by a US online funding campaign after Nick’s death which reached more than £85,000.

Zoe said: “The idea of the trust is a way of moving forward positively and ensuring Nick’s legacy moves on.

“Nick loved music and loved people.”

Drawing on how her parents are coping since the tragedy, Zoe added: “They are incredible, we are a very close family.”

The concert on Tuesday at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire has managed to attract top performers and is close to selling out of its 2,000-person capacity.

The line-up for A Peaceful Noise, will include alternative rockers Maximo Park, ex-Supergrass frontman Gaz Coombes, Travis lead singer Fran Healy and Frank Turner, who will be playing his only London date this year.

There will also be DJ sets from Bloc Party’s Russell Lissack, vicar and DJ Father Brian Ralph and Matt Walsh.

Zoe said: “We wanted to mark the anniversary in some way. We wanted to do something that reflected Nick, who he was.

“We want to celebrate him.

“For it to be a positive event as well as remembering a horrible event.

“Nick was many, many things. He was more than just that thing that happened and to do something he would love being at and live music seemed to be the obvious option.

“We put the word out and called a couple of artists and had a really positive response, so here we are at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

“It is a venue Nick knew well and worked there many times.

“Music lovers felt strongly about what happened and the amount of support we have had shows.

“In the early days it was just so wonderful how many people knew him or worked with him, bought a T-shirt from him even. It was global support.”

After Nick was confirmed as one of the people killed at the concert, tributes began pouring in from musicians who had worked with him over the years, including Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam), Blur’s Damon Albarn, and the group Sum 41.

But the strength found by Zoe to find a positive means she chooses not to voice anger over the perpetrators of her brother’s murder.

She said: “I don’t really think about them.

“I think it would be a waste of energy to spend time when actually we need to focus our energies on Nick.”

Three men armed with automatic weapons, pistols and grenades attacked the Bataclan theatre.

Two died after detonating suicide vests and the third was shot by police.

The trio were Frenchmen Omar Ismail Mostefai, 29, Samy Amimour, 28, and Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23.

Concert tickets for A Peaceful Noise are from £26 plus the booking fee and can be bought from gigst.rs/APN.

A return coach service will be running from Colchester and Chelmsford, courtesy of Big Green Coach. Visit www.biggreencoach.co.uk/events/a-peaceful-noise-coach-travel

For more information about the trust go to www.thenickalexandermemorialtrust.com

Concert fees will also be donated to music charity, The Sweet Stuff Foundation.